East Antrim PhD Post Graduate student wins research award

Stephen Bell, from Carnmoney, Co.Antrim, won the prize for best display representing research at the DAERA Postgraduate Seminar. Stephen has just started the final year of his PhD funded by DAERA and is investigating the sustainability of the local honey bee population. Photo Simon Graham

Published:10:25

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An East Antrim student has won a prize for research at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Postgraduate Seminiar.

Stephen Bell, from Carnmoney, won the prize for best display representing research.

Stephen has just started the final year of his PhD funded by DAERA and is investigating the sustainability of the local honey bee population. He was among postgraduate students who were provided with the opportunity to discuss outcomes of key research areas with representatives of the agri-food industry at the recent seminar hosted by DAERA at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus. DAERA-funded post graduate students who attended discussed research topics including; remote sensing, beef housing systems, diffuse water pollution, eco-labelling and the threat of invasive species to Northern Ireland sea fisheries.

Dr Alistair Carson, DAERA Director of Science, Evidence and Innovation Policy Division who chaired the event, said: “We continue to rely heavily on research to provide robust evidence to inform our policy development and to underpin new innovations supporting sustainability in the agri-food and wider rural economy. Our Postgraduate Programme is an important component of our research funding portfolio.”

DAERA plans to open the 2018 Postgraduate Studentship Competition in December with awards made for a three year PhD Research Studentship.